Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Letter from John Valentine to his wife Ursula

Number 33. Wishes her happy birthday. Speculates on when he will be home. Mentions health and medicine issues. Writes about his Dutch room mates and another Belgian prisoners he likes. Describes multinational nature of prisoners in his block. Notes that despite lifting of ban on letters fewer are arriving.

1942-12-07

Two page handwritten letter

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EValentineJRMValentineUM421207

My Dearest Ursula: Tomorrow will e your birthday & I shall be thinking of you especially – silently wishing you many happier returns of it – on all of which we may be together I can’t send my fondest love for you have that already but I can assume that you still have it & always will. Speaking of birthdays reminds me that I told you I expected to be home by your 28th – I made a mistake for I meant you 29th – I honestly cannot forsee [sic] an earlier departure from here – much as I would like to I have received my first xmas card – from my daughter. I loved having it – please give her a kiss as thanks. I’m very grateful for the Argotone – my tastelessness hasn’t disappeared but I still get occasional lucid intervals which of course I greatly appreciate. The magnesia tablets are also welcome So I get plenty of doses of heartburn still. My other trouble is definitely improving nowadays & I often sleep through the whole night without interruption. You might like to know something of my 3 Dutch room mates. Hans Lensing (age 31) is the one I like most - a former K.LM. radio operator – slight build dark hair, Charrming manners bright & cheerful – an excellent companion. I think Louis Den Boer next (24 last week) pilot rather good looking, pale, tall & thin (slightly knock kneed) Very costly incredibly fussy over food even when really hungry – took a long time to get to know – very absent minded Thyss Loos (Mike) I didn’t care for much. He’s not educated as the others are, very moooly [sic] touchy & the most selfish man I’ve ever met. his dentures don’t fit & he make unpleasant noises when he eats – as of the sound of his closing jaws echoed. Our has to be tactful & very patient in handling him. We four share a room about the size of the dining / living room we had at Bicester. Frank Pepper is here often but I don’t like him – hes rough uncouth & rather sorry for himself & his long internment. Another frequent & most likeable caller is Jean Politle – Belgian – one of the best fellows I’ve met – knowledge of English excellent, sense of humour superb, terribly in love with is wife (like me) tall (very) & handsome – former medical student, son of a Brussels professor. In my block is a motley crowd of nationalities – Belgian, Dutch Polish, USA & [underlined] all [/underlined] the colonies & dominions are represented. We even have a Maltex [sic]. Despite the fact that there is no longer a ban on mail, considerably fewer letters are arriving at the camp than before the ban was imposed. Have you been warned not to write so often. Don’t forget my mail about not mentioning the amount of mail you get form me. all my love darling & fondest greetings Yours always. John.
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[underlined] Kriegsgefangenenpost [/underlined]
[post mark] GEPRUFT 52 [/post mark]
[sticker] EXAMINER 2719 [/sticker]
An MRS U.M. VALENTINE
LIDO
Empfangsort: TENERDEN GROVE
StraBe: HENDON
Kreis: LONDON N W4
Land: ENGLAND
Ladesteil (Provinz usw.)
nfrei!
[sticker] OPENED BY P.C.90 51-11.66 H & S [/sticker]
Absender:
Vor- und Zuname: Sgt JRM VALENTINE
Gefangenennummer: 450
Lager-Bezeichnung: M.-Stammlager Luft 3
[underlined] Deutschland (Germany) [/underlined]
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